When the nation of Israel was led into exile due to breaking their end of the covenant with God, the blessings of land and prosperity on their home soil were gone. Nonetheless, the nations that they were exiled to, the nations that were not blessed with a covenant, were blessed, not by way of covenant, but by a covenant people's faithfulness.
The implications of Israel's exile for God's people today are many. No. America is not the covenant nation of God. God no longer has a covenant nation. God does have a people of the new covenant. No nation on earth has a covenant cut out for them that benefits them if they follow the Mosaic and Davidic covenants. No kingdom here on earth will not be shaken on that day of the Lord (Heb 12:26-8), save that of Christ's. Nonetheless, secular pagan nations can be blessed, not through covenant, but through a covenant people living as salt and light - ones that aren't' thrown out for trampling by the world (Matt 5:13).
No book is clearer on the matter than Daniel. In it are recorded two monumental shifts in the legislation (politics) of a pagan nation turned to YHWH through the testimony of his faithful covenant people. Nebuchadnezzar being one (3:28-9, 4:34-7), and Darius (6:25-6) being the other.
Consider the testimony of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego:
The culture of the land was pagan - its laws and legislations reflected that.
"You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image." (Daniel 3:10)
Doubtless, there are consequences for not following the law of the land.
"And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace." (Daniel 3:11)
Yet there are those faithful covenant people whose high standing given unto them in society did not deter them from recognizing their true standing before the celestial throne.
There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:12)
Their fear of God far exceeded the impending consequence of infuriating the lesser magistrate (Nebuchadnezzar). Not only so, but they knew both their standing before God and his capabilities. They knew that God does only his good and holy will. As such, they were as salt and light - unfit for being trampled on by this pagan king and his subjects.
If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18)
The fourth person in the fire was no doubt the pre-incarnate Christ. Thus it is fitting that he should give us an account of the faithful in his sermon on the mount,
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matt 5:13-16)
Such was the testimony of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were salt not only in form (as Jews) but in substance (God-fearing Jews). Whilst all the other Jews were bowing the knee in obedience to the lesser law, the God-fearing Jews refused to be trampled underfoot. They did not go well with the people of the land ... Nebuchadnezzar noticed and was infuriated - this is what salt does. Nonetheless, the faithfulness of a covenant people in a pagan land serves the purpose of shining the light of Christ so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Nebuchadnezzar was astonished, to say the least.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.
As a result of this, the legislation of Babylon's pagan nation was changed to the degree to be more like that of Israel (Exo 20:7, Deut 5:11).
Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” (Daniel 3:24-29)
Nebuchadnezzar turned out to be a God-fearing king (4:37), but that did not mean that his kingdom was everlasting. His was not a kingdom secured by covenant like that of Israel. Nonetheless, his kingdom was blessed by the influence of the faithful covenant people of God who resided there. Nebuchadnezzar's successor, Belshazzar paid little heed to the ways of Nebuchadnezzar and ruined himself. But the people of God's covenant continued to reside in the kingdom (now in transition) nonetheless. Daniel's faithfulness in the face of yet another godless law (Daniel 6:7-9) brought about the same light that then caused his present king Darius to give glory to God and legislate new laws that resemble God's kingdom here on earth (Daniel 6:25-27).
In light of this, as Christians - people of the new covenant, living in worldly empires that are not secured by covenant - we are called to prosper the land (Jer 29:7). Our hopes are not in the security of our nation - they will be shaken. But nonetheless, we have on good authority that the church of Christ that testifies as salt and light to the world will not be trampled by it. On the contrary, a Church that is only salt in form but not in substance will be trampled on like the Jews who bowed the knee to the idol of the cultural norm.
The witness of the former will ensure that ungodly presidents and governments will give glory unto God. Ungodly legislations will be overturned. The church of God, the people of God's everlasting covenant (Heb 13:20) will remain. Like Daniel, we have no fear of Presidents in transition... our task remains the same - testify faithfully to the incoming President/ Governor - no matter how ungodly they may be, that they are held accountable to the one God who is due all glory and honour.
Christ will deliver his kingdom to the Father ... but until then Christians, we are called to pray “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 2021 will be a year of tearing down all powers and principalities that object to the reign of Christ (2 Cor 10:5). It will also be the year when Christians build to the glory of God.
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